Modern Mix Monday – Lickerish Restaurant and Lounge

Looking for something to do? Every Monday morning, we present to you “Modern Mix Monday”, a brief but link-filled one-liner review of our past weekend loaded with suggestions to inspire you for your next!

I went to Lickerish Restaurant and Lounge (903 Davie Street) not once, but twice, this past weekend. It’s a small, two-floor restaurant with a tasty selection of contemporary tapas and drinks. When I went on Saturday afternoon, the patio seating was great for people-watching along Davie Street. Beer on tap and highballs were on special for less than $5. I also ordered a small dish of crunchy spring rolls with a creamy mashed potatoes with a red pepper and spinach filling for $8. I would recommend Lickerish as a convenient predrinking location, for an afternoon beer or an evening snack. Regardless, they need to step up on their marketing efforts as they “just ran out” of business cards when I went on Friday night, their website is still under construction…and there were only four people in the entire restaurant when we went on Saturday afternoon. Perhaps this would be a good time to check out Lickerish before it gets too mainstream and busy.

Ginger 62 – LOBBY 2 Year Anniversary (Friday August 29, 2008)

For the past two years, LOBBY on Friday Nights at Ginger 62 (1219 Granville Street) has been increasing its presence in the downtown Vancouver electronic nightlife scene.  I’ve been to Ginger 62 a handful of times but since the existence of Lobby, I’ve always made sure to go on a Friday night.  As far as I’m concerned, Canthrill Productions, the mastermind promotional group behind Lobby, has done a fabulous job of consistently branding themselves as the trustworthy, reliable group to go to for great electronic music.  In addition to Lobby, the group has put on Envy My Music at Celebrities, Lifted at Tunnel on Saturday nights and the elusive Heineken Green Room Sessions (bringing the party to rotating hotspots around Vancouver) – the most recent one being at Sip Restro, and the one before that at Space Lounge (which I went to).

Haven’t had a chance to attend a Canthrill Party yet?  Join them this Friday in celebration of the 2-year Anniversary of LOBBY.  DJ Erick Decks from Frankfurt, Germany will be the special guest DJ for the event as well as resident DJs Skilla and Jesse James.  For updated information and more details, click here for the Facebook event.

Modern Mix Monday – Chill Winston

Looking for something to do? Every Monday morning, we present to you “Modern Mix Monday”, a brief but link-filled one-liner review of our past weekend loaded with suggestions to inspire you for your next!

Dessert and Drinks on Friday night at Chill Winston in Gastown. Got the “Pursuit” cocktail (Absolut pear vodka, apple liqueur, gazela vinho verde, pear and ginger puree and a dash of lemonade) while my friend got fruity sangria. We shared the dessert sampler “The Beast of Both Worlds” with bite sized fruit and choclate desserts. Small and dainty but surprisingly great for sharing because their sweets (fudge, moouse, cheesecake, etc.) are so filling.

Absolut Vodka – Mango

I bought a bottle of Absolut Vodka (actually my friend from Belgium bought it, but that’s another story) last month without realizing how new the flavor was to Canada until I read a short blurb about it in Vancouver Magazine.

Canadians love vodka – as long as it’s mixed.  So the way is paved for Absolut Mango.  Already a hit in Brazil, it arrive[d] here in May, bringing the tropics north just in time for summer.  No need for a degree in mixology; just combine with pineapple, lime, or even apple juice.

We were not so classy with this pineapple, lime and apple juice business. We bought a carton of Five Alive and Sugar Free 7-up/Sprite from the aforementioned open-until-midnight IGA (Ten Things About Living in Downtown, Vancouver) and mixed it the carton and a waterbottle.  Then we went for dinner at Lucy Mae Brown (862 Richards Street) with patio seating but not much of a view and then headed for a Wednesday night out at the popular Irish pub/club/bar Celli’s (670 Smite Street).

There you go.  A new drink, a late-night groccery store, a restaurant and a nightlife venue all mentioned in one entry.  Happy Weekend!

POP OPERA – grand opening review

As mentioned in my previous blog entry, POP OPERA (686 West Hastings) had its grand opening tonight.  After over an hour of waiting in the guestlist line up (ironically, my guestlist didn’t go through…but that’s a whole other story) the only reason why my group of three made it through the wait was because we outlasted the lineup, contrary to many frustrated party-goers giving up and waving down cabs on the street instead.  That being said, the lineup was one of the more enjoyable aspects of my night!  The weather was fairly warm with no rain, the people in the line-up were civilized not rowdy, the bouncers were respectful not rude and I had the fantastic opportunity to catch up with two of my friends.

Once inside, coat check was $5: a steep price to pay on a summer’s evening, but not atypical of the Donnelly Nightclubs.  Pop Opera’s interior had the same architectural structure as the old Club 686 yet modern updates, including lighting and artwork, gave it an upscale feel.  This club was made for VIP – with several roped off areas encompassing white couches and rectangular tables, on top of which were menus for bottle service.  Regardless, the club felt…cluttered…rather than spacious.  True, the wooden dancefloor was large and accommodating, but tables were too close to the bar and more often than not, we had to squeeze past people in the narrowness. 

Like any other club, the dancefloor had its moments with a jumping crowd one song and a dwindling, thinning crowd the next.  Perhaps this was due to an erratic music choice.  The featured DJs were “Flipout and J Swing” from The Beat 94.5 FM yet I found the song selection more appropriate for radio, not for a dancefloor.  Perhaps that was the sound Pop Opera was aiming for – with a wide selection of song genres – from grungy hip-hip beats to classic oldskool.

A door to the left of the DJ booth led to a smaller area enclosed in dark glass.  (For those of you who have been to the previous Club 686, this would be where the VIP seating was).  With a square-ish dance floor and rounded walls with full length mirrors, a completely different set of music was being played absolutely isolated and sound proof from the main room.

Overall, the branding of “POP OPERA” brings to mind Andy Warhol style pop- art and bright bubbly colors (ie. the Friday night posters and guest passes for complimentary colors with its contrasting bright pink and pastels) yet the actual venue was inconsistent with my assumptions.  Nonetheless, I am glad I had to opportunity to check out such a hyped-up and anticipated club :)

**Enter MMV’s first contest SHEAR GENIUS.  Application deadline August 3rd.

POP OPERA – Grand Opening (August 1, 2008)

The Donnelly Group (Bar None, The Modern, Republic, etc.) is opening another club! POP OPERA (686 West Hastings) is having its grand opening tonight!  SEE YOU THERE.

**For MMV’s review on Pop Opera’s opening night, click here. 

**Enter MMV’s first contest SHEAR GENIUS.  Application deadline August 3rd.

UVA Wine Bar

UVA Wine Bar (900 Seymour Street) was opened just over three months ago. Despite its modern, refurbished feel, with bold, black double doors at the entrance contrasting the light-colored interior German wallpaper, this venue has managed to keep it heritage roots, subtly incorporating aspects of its history such as the original floors from 1908. UVA Wine Bar is obviously influenced by an European allure, perhaps because of the French roots of the general manager Sebastien Le Goff. In fact, the ambient lounge melodies played in the background of UVA Wine Bar can be traced to the Parisian musical influences of the Hotel Costes in Paris.

Tonight, on a quiet Tuesday evening, I had the pleasure of sampling Lemon Cello, an Italian Liquor and one of UVA Wine Bar’s in house concoctions made by the bar manager Dave Yates himself. To sample this liquor in a cocktail, you may want to try Under The Tuscan Sun for $9 with homemade limoncello, absolute mandarin and grapefruit juice with a touch of cinnamon syrup and lemon juice served over crushed ice. Other citrus cello flavors in the making included orange, lime and grapefruit.

Also made in-house is their chocolate infused vodka. The magic ratio of three bars of Lindt 70% Cacao chocolate to five cups of vodka to one cup of sugar water melted on a double broiler yields a tasteful syrup with the final consistency of a thick chocolate milk. However, do not be fooled – it has a very strong alcoholic flavor! To sample this concoction in a cocktail, try the Tiramissuva for $10 with the house made chocolate vodka, cointreau, a splash of vanilla syrup, a shot of cream and a hint of espresso.

All in all the UVA Wine Bar is a lovely place to visit. Its clean architecture, mellow music and convenient location makes it a great place to relax and drink unique cocktails, a variety of wines and import beers available on their frequently changing menus.

PS. Cibo Trattoria (900 Seymore Street) is expected to have a low-key opening this weekend in the same building complex.

Tunnel Bar|Lounge – Industry and Media Reveal

Last night I went to the Industry and Media Reveal for Tunnel Bar|Lounge (622 West Pender Street) which was an invitation-only event to preview the club before it opens to the general public. Thank you to DJ Skilla, the resident DJ at Ginger 62 for handing me these passes while he was DJing at my 21st birthday party last week. The event started at 8pm-ish and we were given complementary drink tickets (stylish, mini, fuscha-colored cardboard squares) in the line up. By 10pm the club was already starting to fill up with groups of people who know a lot of other people from working in “the industry”.  The picture below is taken from the BACK of the club, facing the front entrance: 

The Tunnel venue is a long, rectangular club. Looking through the entrance, you could see right to the end of the club, where the DJ booth is located. Coatcheck is on the right, a small, veiled VIP lounge is on the left. Beyond that, the bar, its white counter stretched down on the left side of the club while couches were opposite it on the right. Behind the bar were wide TV screens flashing scenes of a driver’s-seat view of (appropriately) driving through a tunnel. At the back end of the room, with the dance floor and DJ booth, the walls and ceiling curved where they met to give the impression of a tunnel. The washrooms were slightly grungy with its with black walls and pink graffitti yet elegant chandelier lamps hung from the ceiling

At the event, broadcasters were there to film the progression of Tunnel club – from the planning to the launch. They intend to pitch the series to a number of networks later this summer. I have to say, you should check this club out if not for any other reason than to see what the hype is all about. From my blog stats, more people are visiting Modern Mix Vancouver from search terms relating to Tunnel than any other search query.

Tunnel Bar|Lounge – opening on Pender Street

Tunnel Bar|Lounge is opening soon and is located on 622 West Pender Street. 

Keep your eyes peeled, your ears open and your liver strong with these grand opening nights:

 Traffik Fridays w/ Soulgood Events & Epik Entertainment (May 30th)
Lifted Saturdays w/ Canthrill Productions (May 31st)
Shelter Wednesdays w/ D Rock & Alan. (June 4th)

If you want to guestlist to any of the above events, email guestlist@entertunnel.com.  Their Media & Industry night is tomorrow, Wednesday May 28th, and I have tickets! 
If I end up going, I will definitely give a review of the club.

Tunnel Bar|Lounge Official Website
Tunnel Bar|Lounge Facebook Group